In her book Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech repeatedly uses the phrase “trying to catch fish in the air” to mean trying to achieve the impossible, when disillusionment is a much more likely situation. And as a writer with…

Did you know that, when it comes to art, every line has a personality? That the lifework of the master artist has a particular voice? When it comes to the lines of Matisse, spare, weightless, whimsical, and articulate come to mind.…

“Drawing is based upon perspective, which is nothing else than a thorough knowledge of the function of the eye.”     -Leonardo DaVinci We are designed to see and understand an object based on the relationship between the play of light…

  I have been discouraged when people don’t like my writing—when people don’t like my voice. I’m sure this is true for all writers. The truth is, it’s hard to be yourself when people disagree with what you personally find interesting…

This is not a typical high school project. This is a watercolor composition, a gift from a friend. This is the prized possession that hangs in my kitchen with Mona Lisa’s ubiquitous gaze following my paces patiently, “Kim, you can.” Lore has…

Thanksgiving is a terrific time to connect with friends and family across the miles. But it’s also a perfect time to help young writers creatively communicate thankfullness. Visit our Pinterest page and let the writing begin: Telephones come in all…

 Concrete poetry is not child's play but rather the intersection where typography and poetry meet to play. Sir Ken Robinson reminds us that “…imagination is the source of every form of human achievement.” Concrete poetry is an invitation to imagine possibility.…

So many films for younger audiences, from Finding Nemo to The Incredibles to How to Train Your Dragon, teach them to take pride in being different. So many children’s movies tell kids that it’s important to “be yourself.” It’s ok to be…

Imagination is just the thing to inspire young writers. To get started, visit our Pinterest: Snail of Orange Juxtapose the grotesque and the delicious, the crude and the dainty by drawing inspiration from this snail—usually not considered the most beautiful…

This month my daughter Hannah turned 25, and my youngest son Søren turned 15. Once upon a time Reading Rainbow was a happy part of our literacy routine. Recently Sara came to visit and we stood in my kitchen humming the…